Lifting and transporting device



Oct. 20, 1959 FISCHER ET AL 2,908,916

LIFTING AND TRANSPORTING DEVICE Filed Jan. 30, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 50mm L. 47564452,

6 /4 2455 5. (04/75, INVENTORS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 E L FISCHER ETAL LIFTING AND TRANSPORTING DEVICE Oct. 20, 1959 Flled Jan 30, 1956 INVENTOR5 arrae/l/sy 1959 E. L. FISCHER ET AL 2,908,916

LIFTING AND TRANSPORTING DEVICE Filed Jan. 30, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 //9 f I 90 O me wfm LIFTING AND TRANSPORTING DEVICE Edwin L. Fischer, Malibu, and Charles E. White, Rolling Hills, Calif., assignors of seventy-five percent to David V. Cole, Monterey Park, Calif.

Application January 30, 1956, Serial No. 562,302

2 Claims. (Cl. -86) This invention relates to lifting and transporting apparatus particularly for use in lifting and moving patients, invalids, or injured persons from one place to another with the minimum of discomfort and injurious movement of the person being lifted and transported.

Equipment of this general nature is known, as evidenced by Patents No. 2,498,853 of February 28, 1950, No. 2,544,593 of March 6, 1951, and No. 2,565,761 of August 28, 1951. These prior lifting and transporting de vices are for the purpose of lifting an invalid or injured person from beds or operating tables, etc., and transporting them to other beds or other tables. The present invention is also for this purpose but is an improvernent over prior devices in its simplicity of construction and operation. It is light, but sturdy and reliable, permits quick and ready positioning of the device with re spect to the person to be lifted and transported, and has many safety features which will be described hereinafter.

The principal object of the invention, therefore, is to facilitate the raising or lifting and transporting of persons who should be handled or disturbed as little as possible.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved raising and transporting device for persons.

A'further object of the invention is to provide a lifting and transporting device which is light and may be easily operated by one person. 7

A still further object of the invention is to provide a light Weight hospital patient lifting and transporting device suitable for movement in a limited space.

'The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of this invention, both as to the manner of its organization and the mode of its operation, will be better understood from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings,

in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a lifting and transporting, device embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view of the lifting mechanism taken along the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detail cross sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

and tubular end rods 6 and 7 at right angles to the rod 5. Brace rods 8 and 9 connect rod 5 with rods 6 and 7, respectively. The rods 5, 6, and 7 are welded, or otherwise suitably fastened, to upright tubular members 11 and 12 and" insert collars such as shown at 13 in Fig.

2. The insert collars accommodate caster wheel units.

15 and 16, a portion of wheel unit 16 being shown in "United States Patent ce Patented Oct. 20, 195.9

Fig. 2. Caster wheels 17 and 18 are provided at the ends of the cross rods 6 and 7, respectively, in a similar manner. Telescopically slidable over the members 11 and 12 are tubes 19 and 20, the upper ends of which are welded, or otherwise suitably attached, to a fixed upper horizontal hollow lifting frame member 21. A tubular brace 22 connects the tube 19 with the tube member'21, and a tubular brace 23 connects the tube 20 with the tube member 21.

Mounted in the ends of the frame member 21 are the ends of tubular end lifting frame members 25 and 26 which are shown rotated to one extreme position by the broken lines 27 and 28, respectively. The lifting frame members 25 and 26 are U-shaped, leaving a gap between the outer ends thereof. Although only members 25 and 26 are necessary, the outer ends thereof may be connected by a joining member 33 shown in broken lines. The members 21, 25, and 26 form the lifting frame.

The connection between the end lifting frame members 25 and 26 and the frame member 21 is shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The portion 35 of end member 26 extends into the frame member 21 and is mounted therein on ring bearing bushings 36 and 39. The bushing 36 has a slot 37 cut therein and movable in which is a tubular roll pin 38 within the bore of a reinforcing member 40. The roll pin and limiting slot permit the end frame member 26 to be rotated through an approximate angle of degrees (see Fig. 1). The roll pin 38 is provided with a push-out plug 43 which is accessible through a hole 44 in the member 21 and bushing 36. The end frame member 25 has the same type of connection with the member 21 to permit its rotation in the same manner as member 26. The slots 37 are positioned under member 21 and bushings to prevent foreign matter from entering the slots.

To prevent the lifting end frame member 26 from "falling, and to hold it at an angular position within its 'ing 39 and held in position by pins 30, 31, and 32 fastened to a plate 52, the plate being fastened to member 21 by screws 53. The friction exerted on the section 35 of frame member 26 will maintain it in any desired angular position, as mentioned above. The same friction rings are used for member 25.

Mounted on the lifting frame members 21, 25, and 26 is a lifting and transport sheet 55 of canvas or other suitable material. At the four corners of the sheet 55 and at four intermediate positions, fastening devices 65 shown in detail in Fig. 5 connect the sheet to the members 21, 25, and 26. Reinforcing straps for the sheet are shown in dotted lines 49. The fastening devices comprise fabric loops such as 56 which are sewed, or otherwise suitably attached, to the sheet 55 and which are positioned in openings 57 of metal buckle members 58. Referring to Fig. 5, member 58 has a central opening 60 and an end opening 61 in the latter of which is a hand pull strap 62. Welded, or otherwise attached, to the upper surfaces of frame members 21, 25, and 26 are studs such as shown at 64, these studs being provided with a safety latch 63. Although a shoulder 66 is provided to normally prevent the buckle 58 from slipping off the stud 64, there is further provided a pawl member 67 pivoted on a pin 70 and which is biased by a spring 68' to the position shown in Fig. 5. The spring 68 will hold the pawl 67 in such a manner that it is impossible for the buckle 58 to be accidentally removed 'from the stud 64. Toactually remove the buckle, it is necessary that the upper end of the pawl 67 be moved to the right against the tension of spring 68. This device insures that the sheet 55 will not become detached from the frame members when not desired.

Referring now to Fig. 2 in which an elevating mechanism for the frame 2125--26 is shown, a threaded .ball nut 70 is threaded into a collar 71 fastened to the tube member 12 by screws such as shown at 72. Threaded into the nut 70 is a rod 74 having a threaded portion 75. The rod 74 is attached to a tube 79, which, in turn, is attached to a bearing rod 80 in a bearing 76. The upper end of rod 80 'has a bevel gear 77 attachable thereto, the gear 77 being in mesh with a mating bevel gear 78. The bearing 76 is mounted in bushings 87 and 99 and held in position by a set screw 101.

The gear 78 is mounted on the end of a shaft 34 mounted in ball bearings 81 and 82 maintained in position by bushings 83 and 84, respectively. Collars 85, 86, and 87 maintain the shaft 34 in a fixed axial position. A plate 102 abutting the bushing 39 and against which the end of shaft 34 is positioned, takes the thrust of the shaft 34.

Also mounted on the shaft 34 is a gear 88 in mesh with a gear 89 mount-ed on a shaft 90 in a housing 91 attached to a bracket 119 by screws 92, the bracket being welded to member 21. The two gears 88 and 89 are in mesh through an opening 93, in the frame member 21. Mounted on the end of the shaft 90 is a crank arm 94 having a handle 95, the handle being rotatable on the crank arm 94 to rotate it to the position parallel to the arm 94 as shown in Fig. 2. Although Fig. 2 shows only the right hand raising mechanism for tube 20, the same mechanism is provided for the tube 19.

To further describe the crank mechanism, reference is made to Fig. 6. In this figure, the shaft 90 is shown within sleeve bearings 105 in the housing 91, a plug 106 closing the bearing opening. The handle 95 is mounted on a screw 108 threaded in member 109 mounted on a pin 110 held in arm 94 by a screw 112. The member 109 and handle 95 are rotatable on pin 110 from their positions parallel with arm 94 to their positions shown in Fig. 6 against the tension of a spring 113. That is, when the handle is released, it will return to its position shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The memher 109 has an extension 115 with a pin 120 which lie within arm 94 when the arm is being rotated, and takes the positions shown by the dotted lines 116 whenthe handle is parallel with arm 94. This is a safety feature which prevents the weight of the lifting frame from lowering it when the crank is not being operated. With the handle in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the extension 116 will contact a bumper 118 if any rotation of the crank occurs. This permits use of an easily operated reversible lifting screw at 75, while preventing accidental lowering of the lifting frame. Nylon bearing sleeves 121 and 122 between tubes 12 and 20 reduce the raising friction and make lubrication unnecessary.

The operation of the lifting and transport device will now be described. The sheet 55 is placed on a bed or table and under the person to be lifted and moved. The device is then moved to the bed, the casters 17 and 18 moving under the bed. If the end members 25 and 26 are in the broken line positions shown at 27 and 28 in Fig. 1, they are rotated down to their solid line positions shown in Fig. 1 to form, with member 21, a cradling frame. The crank 9495 is then turned and the frame lowered to the sheet 55 which is then attached to the frame by fasteners 65. The crank is then turned again, and the person is lifted from the bed, and when the entire weight of the person is on the device, he may be readily moved to whatever place is desired. .To hold the patient on the sheet 55, straps such as shown at 96, 97, and 98 may be placed over the patient and tied or fastened in any suitable manner.

To place the person back on the bed or on an operating table, the above procedure is reversed. That is,

4 the frame with the person on sheet 55 is moved over the bed or table, then lowered to the bed or table, and the sheet 55 then detached from its frame. The supporting frame is then rotated to the broken line positions shown in Fig. 1 and the entire device moved away.

We claim:

1. A lifting and transporting device for lifting a person without shifting the position of said person on said device comprising a sheet on which said person is positioned, a vetrically raisable frame including a horizontal frame member and a pair of U-shaped end frame members forming a substantially complete rectangular frame, means for rotating said end frame members in the ends of said horizontal frame member from a position above said horizontal frame member to a horizontal position, means for holding said end frame members in said horizontal frame member, means for attaching said sheet to said frame' for supporting said person to be raised and lowered, said means attaching said sheet to the outer legs of said U-shaped end frame members and to said horizontal frame member, a support for said frame including two pairs of telescoping vertical tubular members, a base frame for supporting said vertical tubular members and attached to one of each pair of said vertical tubular members, the other one of said pairs being connected to said horizontal frame member, means for raising and lowering said last-mentioned ones of each pair of said vertical tubular members, said base frame having members extending at right angles from the ends of another member of said base frame, and a wheel at each end of said extending members, said last mentioned means including a crank, a shaft in said horizontal frame member rotatable by said crank, and vertical screws within said vertical tubular members connected to and rotatable by said shaft.

2. A lifting and transporting device for lifting a person without shifting the position of said person on said device comprising a sheet on which said person is adapted to be positioned, a vertically raisable frame including a horizontal frame member and a pair of end frame members which, together with said horizontal frame member, form a rectangular frame, means for rotating said end frame members in the ends of said horizontal frame member from a position above said horizontal frame member to a horizontal position, means for holding said end frame members in said horizontal frame member, means for attaching said sheet to said frame for supporting said person to be raised and lowered, said means attaching said sheet to the outer legs of said end frame members and to said horizontal frame member, a support for said frame including two pairs of telescoping vertical tubular members, a base frame for supporting said vertical tubular members and attached to one of each pair of said vertical tubular members, the other one of said pairs being connected to said horizontal frame member, means for raising and lowering said last-mentioned ones of each pair of said vertical tubular members, said base frame having members extending at right angles from the ends of another member of said base frame, a wheel at each end of said extending members, and a plurality of friction means surrounding the ends of said end frame members within said horizontal frame member to hold said end frame members at any angular position above said horizontal frame member to which said end frame members are adjusted.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 156,724 Chapman Nov. 10, 1874 975,996 Reed Nov. 15, 1910 1,050,814 Demeree Jan. 21, 1913 1,347,549 Mote July 27, 1920 1,349,344 ONeill Aug. 10, 1920 (Other references on following page) Dean Aug. 28, 1951 Hebert Sept. 11, 1951 Feist May 6, 1952 Flatley Dec. 18, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain of 1911 

